Delilah Beasley

One of the goals of this walking tour is to preserve Black history. Sadly, many stories of California’s earliest African-American residents have already been lost. For many years, mainstream history books ignored the contributions of Black cowboys, miners, and settlers, leaving an unfillable gap in the collective memory. This gap would have been much bigger …

Surrounded by Freeways

If you look at a map of West Oakland, you’ll see that the entire area is boxed in by freeways. Where you are standing right now is a perfect example of why these structures have been so harmful to the people who live here.  The first thing you’ll notice is noise — imagine living next …

M. Robinson Baker YMCA

In the early 1940s, there wasn’t a single Black person on Oakland’s City Council or serving at any level of city government. By 1977, a single generation later, Lionel Wilson was elected as Oakland’s first Black mayor and African Americans were represented on City Council and throughout local politics. This YMCA that you’re standing in …

C.L. Dellums

In the decades following the Civil War, working as a porter on one of the Pullman Company’s luxurious “sleeper cars” was one of the most coveted positions a Black man could attain. Although the job was demanding – porters worked long hours to keep the trains clean and the passengers happy – it was seen …

North Oakland Branch Library

As a young girl growing up in this neighborhood, Alternier Cook has fond memories of spending time at the local library, which she could easily walk to after school. Back then, residents could choose between the North Oakland Branch Library, near the California Hotel, or the smaller Telegrove Branch Library. Unfortunately, the Telegrove Branch closed …

Flint’s Bar-B-Q

Close your eyes and imagine the sweet, smokey smell of ribs and hot links wafting out of this building and drawing a hungry crowd of BBQ lovers. Throughout the 1970s and 80s it wasn’t uncommon to see people lined up along San Pablo Ave. to get a precious plate of family-cooked food here.  The first …